Thanks to some great friends of ours, we had a fabulous cabin in the woods right on the lake. It was so beautiful, so peaceful. All I wanted to do was sleep! I didn't, but I truly wanted to. One important thing I learned on this trip through Virginia. There are no bathrooms open ANYWHERE in the off season. Since it was still mid-March, I guess it was considered the off-season. We did finally find a gas station and I hurried in to find the restroom. Imagine my dismay when I spotted the "out of order" sign on the door! The woman behind the counter had an accent so thick it was difficult for even this southern belle to understand, but I gradually got the message that the nearest bathroom, working bathroom, that is, was 3 miles away. I didn't know a camaro could drive that fast. I think J was in fear for his new cloth seats, and well he should have been!
Then there were the bears. Yes, I said bears. I never saw an actual bear, but just knowing they were there was enough to unnerve me a little. You see, the rangers were ever so kind as to post numerous signs all around about what to do if you ran into such a critter. I was not really thrilled about their proximity, but was trying to put it out of my mind. I did an ok job till we found a huge pile of bear scat on the trail we were on. How did I know it was bear scat you ask? I guess you just had to be there and since you weren't, you will just have to take my word for it. To say I wasn't exactly happy about this development is putting it mildly!
One interesting thing that came up during our trip was the trees. Yes, I said trees, pine trees to be exact. You see, this man that I married has a unique way of cluing in to one thing and holding on like a bulldog with a bone. Everywhere we went he noticed the pine trees. "These trees are different from the ones at home" "These trees are different even from the ones in Georgia and Wyoming" "See that tree? It's shorter and more squat than the ones we're used to" On and on it went till even I was noticing the trees! After 2 days of this I started to wonder if God was trying to show me something. Then, when I least expected it, He dropped it right down into my heart.
From somewhere, deep in the recesses of my mind, I remembered a fact I learned I know not where and I know not when. Some pine trees produce pine cones that only release their seeds when exposed to fire. There are many natural reasons why this is a good idea and I won't go into them here and now, just suffice it to say I was blown away by what that fact told me about life in general.
We've all heard stories about people who have risen to some great challenge in life, the woman who lifted a car all alone to free her child trapped under it, or the man who walked many miles through a blizzard to bring help to his family, or the young man who amputated his own arm to save himself while trapped in a desert canyon. Sometimes, I submit, adversity is what brings out the best in people, seeds of greatness, if you will. I have spoken before of my time spent in the burn center in Salt Lake with my husband and my father. As horrific as that time was, I can look back and see things birthed in me that would have never been there otherwise, seeds that God brought forth that are still being developed. We see this premise many times in scripture. Would Abraham have become the father of our faith if he had had a house full of children before his 30th birthday? Would Gideon have ever become the mighty warrior he did if he had not been persecuted and nearly starved by his enemies? Would Esther ever stepped up and been a great woman of God if she had spent her entire married life sitting easy, enjoying the life of a queen with no tragedy looming over her? I submit they would not!
The seeds of our destiny are planted within us before we ever take a breath here on earth, but, just like the pine cone, sometimes it takes the fires of life to release those seeds so they can begin to grow. Fire is not always a pleasant thing. It can warm you, but it can also burn you. It can destroy you and it can prompt growth. What will you do with the fires in your life? Will you allow them to turn you to ashes? Will you allow bitterness and self-pity to take hold thereby robbing you of the opportunity to find the treasures in the darkness spoken of in Isaiah 45:3? Is 45:3 (contemporary version) "I will give you treasures hidden in dark and secret places. Then you will know that I, the Lord God of Israel, have called you by name." Those seeds can be a wonderful treasure well worth searching for.
Life can burn us, no doubt. It can be difficult, trying, just down right no fun at times, but, remember, God wastes nothing. There is always a treasure hidden in your dark place. Sometimes, it's a seed of destiny released by the fire of trials and tragedies life here on earth can throw at us. I want to be like that pine tree. I want to let the things in my life that I would rather not be there release the things in me that I do want there. My hope is, when I walk out the other side of a difficult time I will be surrounded by tiny seedlings sprouting up as a testament to God's great and wonderful grace. Take time, when faced with adversity to check your heart. Make sure you are willing to let that heat release something wonderful inside you, even if you can't imagine what that could be right now. I pray I can let that time in the furnace of life open up my heart so the seeds God put in there can be release and scattered inside me and, over time, I will see the fruit of it. So don't curse the fire, sometimes it's what is needed to bring new life within you.
The next time everything is turned upside down and you're struggling to breath through the smoke of your fiery trial just remember, let everything go to seed, be down right seedy! It's biblical, and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise!
Soaked in His blessings,
Spokenfor
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